Repercussions
by CaptainS10
Summary: He kidnapped her. Held her hostage. Used her for ransom. So far the last was the only unsuccessful one. The fairies need a push, he said. So hurt her. But in a way that benefited himself. Or so he thought. But was it really worth having to face these repercussions? She couldn't go home now. The ransom was lost. What next? Where could they go from here? T now, will go up. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Before anyone yells at me, I know: I should not be starting any new fics with as many as I already had out and unfinished. But to be honest I started like... four, so, ha! **

**Don't ask me where the ha came from, I don't know. **

**Anyways, I'm probably ticking some people off, I know. But this (well, this and two of the others) is the first inspiration I've had in a long time. I have serious writer's block, people! On like, everything! **

**So, if you have any home remedies or rituals or something you do when you have writer's block, let me know. I will try them and let you know if they work. Hopefully they do. :P**

**So, to the story. **

**I have rated this T, because so far, things are only implied, not depicted graphically. However, this may change, so the rating might go up. By the point it actually gets to the chapter depicting anything, I'll probably have moved it to another profile for safety. Also, short chapter on this one. Sorry. My authors more is probably as long as the chapter. ;)**

_"Stop." _

Her swift, simple plea. It was enough, it had to be. It was all she could muster by now.

_"Oh, no. I'm enjoying this."_

His denial.

_"You don't know what you're doing." _

Her attempt at reasoning with him. That was what he responded best to, after all: cold, logical facts.

_"So you say."_

His return to shoot it down. That wasn't reasonable. What did she gain by lying?

_"So I know!" _

Her voice was desperate, burning with emotion and promise.

_"It wasn't in the Book, Artemis, the repercussions of this. Keep going, and there will be repercussions_."

His reply was stark and curt, laced with the cruelty and stupid self-confidence that made him so bull-headed.

"Maybe so, but I don't care. I can ensure all the bad ones fall on you."

That was when he struck, ending the conversation as searing pain shot through her.

oOoOoOoOo

Holly gasped, shooting bolt upright on the small cot in the cell. The human was gone, long gone by now, but the nightmares and traces of his presence still lingered within her.

She'd been haunted and plagued by similar nightmarish flashes of memory since the night at happened. And since he'd told her about the upcoming re-negoations, they had only gotten worse. The prospect of facing Root, telling him what happened... It was enough to make anyone anxious.

Even worse was that, once he found out, he wouldn't come back. He couldn't. The Mud Man didn't know it, but in doing what he did, he sealed all of their fates. Root was going to loose his officer. Foaly, a friend. Trouble, a companion. They'd been close at the academy. And her... Well, she was stuck with Fowl, whatever he chose to do. She wasn't allowed to leave him, not without his permission.

The old laws dictated that.

She looked around the cell that was probably to be her new home and sighed, shrinking back down on the cot and sliding into a ball. At least my fate was decided quick, she thought, and then drifted back off into the realm of sleep, despite the horrible nightmares it brought. She was past caring about them now.

**Last thing! Anyone who wants info to join my forum, let me know in a review or a PM! I'm not detailing in the story because I have have and I don't feel like it now. **

**Make sure you tell me what you think! Keep? Trash? Have a suspicion as to what he did? Let me know! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, so.. I have time before I go to school and I had enough for a chapter - voila, here's the result. :) this one, you should actually find out what he did to her.. And fair warning, it's DARK. If you don't have a stomach for that stuff, you probably should get out of this story and visits some of my very few fluffy stories. **

**Also! While I'm on relative topics: interrogation scene next chapter? Or do you guys want me to cut it out? Either way I'm good with, but I need to know now. **

**Alright, I'll shut up now. On with the story! **

He came for her early.

She was sleeping, originally, but as soon as the door started to creak open, her sensitive ears picked up the door, and she opened her eyes just as he peeked through the door at her.

"You're awake," he said, his uncertainty and relief evident in his voice. Holly cocked her head at him questioningly, knowing she couldn't voice it aloud but wondering why suddenly he was actually showing emotions. It was the first time she's seen him since the incident, but no doubt it was far from the first time he'd seen her, and he seemed different.

"Yes." That was all the voice she could find. He noticed this and sighed, stepping in and shutting the door as he did so. She noted dully the he was carrying a covered tray, but she didn't care enough to ask what it was. Instead she just wordlessly scooted over on the cot, making room for him, and he took it, eyeing her carefully. It was all too obvious to him she was acting different too.

"Are you hungry? I brought you some food. It's all locally grown and fresh, so you needn't worry about pollutants."

The old laws dictated that she couldn't lie to him. "I... am hungry," she admitted, but something in her voice told him she wasn't planning to eat a bite.

"But you won't eat?" he asked, carefully studying her. She shook her head and glanced up at him but only looked at his chest, wishing she could make eye contact.

"Do you want me to?"

"That was kind of the purpose," he replied.

"Okay," she muttered. "I guess I'll eat."

Wordlessly, he plucked the top off the tray and laid it on her lap. She picked up an apple and toyed with it, but make no move to bite it. After a few minutes, he caught her hand to stop her. "Holly, if you're hungry, eat. If not, then tell me."

She hesitated.

It was enough for him. He sighed, plucking the apple from her hand and putting it on the tray, then setting it on the ground and lifting her onto his lap. She knew what was coming a second before he did it: he placed his hands on her shoulders and pulled her up close to him, pressing his lips ferociously to hers. She gasped, but didn't resist, letting his tongue sweep through her mouth before whispering, "why..."

"I'm going to punish you," he murmured, pressing his lips against her cheek. "You should know better than to lie to me, Holly."

"I..." She lowered her eyes. "You don't understand."

Artemis narrowed his eyes at her and growled, "explain it to me, then."

"I can't lie to you."

His eyebrows shot up in surprise. "What does that mean?"

"You don't understand!" she repeated again, desperately. "You don't know what you've done... You don't know how much power you wield against me now." She stopped, ducking her head and rubbing her palms in her eyes. "Frond, I'm a wreck... This is so stupid. I'm either going to become a sex slave or die. I know that, why can't I cope with it?"

He stared silently at her, uncomprehending. He had honestly no idea what she was talking about, but he didn't ask, seeing she obviously needed to rant. When she stopped for a breath, he reached up and grasped her gently but firmly by the shoulders. "You need to explain this to me, slowly. Tell me what you mean. I haven't heard of this, so I'm guessing it's not in the Book?"

She bit her tongue to hold in the sarcastic comments that popped in to her mind and simply nodded, but inwardly she was screaming, no dip, Sherlock! I told you that already!

"Alright. Well-"

There was a knock on the door, and suddenly Butler's huge head popped in. "Julius is here," he rumbled.

Artemis nodded, setting Holly down and rising. "Come," he ordered, holding out his hand. "Let's get this session over with. I'd rather like to get back to our discussion."

The elf nodded meekly and grasped his hand, allowing him to pull her to her feet and lead her out of the room. She hesitated when, as usual, the bodyguard went to tie her up, not immediately giving him her hand but not attempting to run or anything similar to that either. When he gestured for her to turn and give him her hands, she shuffled her feet and crossed her arms. "Ah.. You don't need to that."

Butler looked questioningly at his charge. The man frowned, narrowing his eyes at her. "Just give him your hands. I suppose we'll cut down this time though, seeing as how circumstances seem to have changed a bit - bind them in front of her, and leave the rest off."

"Everything else?" He couldn't hide his surprise. At the look Artemis gave him, however, he quickly just said, "yes, sir," and completed his task before pocketing the rest of the restraints they usually applied to her. With that, they went the rest of the way upstairs to conduct negotiations.

oOoOoOoOo

"Julius!"

Holly didn't waste a second, launching herself into the lap of her commander and working her bound arms around his neck. He looked up, startled, but hugged her back hesitantly before pushing her off, wary of her getting in trouble.

"Captain Short," he replied, raising an eyebrow at her. "What's going on?"

"Don't ask me," Artemis said, shrugging and gesturing towards his captive. "She's all worked up about something and I'm clueless as to what it is."

"The all-mighty Artemis Fowl? Clueless?" Root looked down at Holly, his eyebrow raised. "What's the matter?" he questioned again, his voice dropping so the human couldn't hear them as he placed his hands on her shoulders, looking her in the eye.

The elf swallowed hard, blinking back the tears that sprang to her eyes. "He.. It's the old laws, Commander. By the way of the old laws, I've been soiled by him. I can't come back. The Council.. They'll enforce it."

Root's eyebrows drew together and he frowned. There wasn't even a handful of old laws that could relate to what she was saying. It made no sense to him. "Holly," he said sternly, shaking her a little to stop her ramblings, "what are you talking about? What did he do?"

She swallowed, dropping her eyes. She didn't want to say it, but eventually she knew she'd have to. "He raped me," she whispered brokenly. "Commander, you know what the old laws say, and what the Council will do. I can't go back. He won't let me. And even if he did, they'd send me back. It's over. It's all over."

He stared at her for a minute, uncomprehending. Then, slowly, it sunk in, and he sighed, squeezing her shoulders and glaring at the ceiling. "I should kill that bastard," he muttered under his breath, then looked back at Holly. "I can try to talk to the Council, but I doubt they'll listen," he said, after a moment, trying to soften the blow instead of just flat out saying that she was basically screwed.

She shook her head and wiped at her eyes, again trying not to cry. "Don't waste your breath. Just tell them what happened. They'll never want me back, they'll never pay for me, and they certainly won't fight Artemis to give me back. They'll just let him kill me, or use me, or whatever he decides to do."

"Maybe it won't be so bad," he said, but there was no conviction to the words. He knew as well as she did it would probably be horrible for her, and there was nothing either of them could do about it.

She laughed a little hysterically and shook her head. "Yeah, right."

Artemis stood to the side, Butler still behind him, watching their exchange with interest. He could only make out a few words, but they seemed to be having some sort of important conversation. Warily, he stepped forward and pulled Holly away from her commander, pushing her behind him and raising his eyebrows at the elfin man. "Are you ready to negotiate?"

"There's nothing to negotiate, not anymore," Root said coldly. "You ruined your chances to get anything from us. They won't pay an ounce of gold for her anymore. Have fun with her while she lasts." He practically snarled the last bit, obviously ticked.

"What?" Artemis demanded, narrowing his eyes at him and crossing his arms firmly. "What the hell is going on here? You do understand, she'll die if you don't get me the ransom."

"Not unless you're killing her with your bare hands." Even Holly looked perplexed by this statement, so he explained, "they won't blue rinse this place now, they can't. It'd be interference. The old laws dictate that they can't do anything to or involving you after.. that." Clearing his throat as if to clear the awkwardness out of the air, he shrugged helplessly and said, "even Cumulus or Hilder wouldn't go against the old laws."

"What are you saying?" the human demanded sharply.

"I'm saying you got an elf instead of a ransom. I hope you're happy," Root stated coldly. He walked over and gave Holly a brief, parting squeeze, then stormed past the giant standing by the door and out of the manor.


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, folks. I just spent like the last half an hour trying to crank out an ending for this chapter, which means (hopefully you can guess): I put EFFORT into it. I do NOT want flames.**

**Guys, if you don't like my darkness of writing, or my twisted ideas, WHY are you on my profile, reading anything that I wrote? Like, 3/4s of my stories have some kind of darkness or plot twists added to them. I don't appreciate you coming on here and flaming me incessantly. I didn't force you to read my works. YOU are the dumbos who click on them, and you guys have the power at any time to switch them off and never look at them again. Trust me. I am more offended by the flames than I would be if you just did that, and yet over the past week or so I've had a few guests (or maybe its the same guest, I don't know, but either way the fact it's a guest at all bothers me because I find it a cowardly way to express opinions that a person may or may not like) leave some nasty reviews on a few of my stories, which is the reason I'm leaving you all this not-so-happy long author's note slash rant for you to read. **

**So, a few clarifications for you people. **

**1 - Despite what it may seem like, I am not a misogynist. I don't hate woman. I AM a woman, for Frond's sake. **

**2 - This is an AU story. Which means things can be changed. As they are. These things include but may not be limited to Artemis's age, the way the kidnapping went, and the fact that Root is still alive and in the job of Holly's commander. **

**3 - Flames are not welcome here. Take them and go away. I can deal with constructive criticism, but I cannot stand flames. **

**Kapeesh? Are we understood now?**

**I'm sorry for this insanely long author's note and rant, but I had to point this out. It just bothers me too much to let it go. And unfortunately it has resulted in a bit of my own insecurities. Do I take this down? Do I take other stuff down? Am I any good at all? Is my mind too twisted to have this stuff here? I swear, I try to warn you guys - the ratings and the warnings I put in the stories aren't there because they're pretty to look at or fun to write, guys. **

**Tell me what you think. I think I need to know this now more than ever. **

**If anyone wants to see the flames I got, I did leave them up for now.**

**And also, sorry if my explanation is off… With these thoughts swirling through my head, it took me a little longer and was a lot harder than usual to crank this out. So, I hope it's worth it. **

**Read, and please try to enjoy, guys. Thanks for bearing with me here. **

**~CaptainS10**

For a few seconds, nobody moved. Then Artemis spun on his heel and grabbed Holly by the arm, dragging her over to the nearest chair and pushing her into it.

"Sit, and don't move," he ordered, then turned and gestured to her, obviously telling Butler without words to attend to her. The manservant immediately did, coming over and tying her down like normal: a wrist on each armrest and her ankles together, then blindfolding her. She felt her throat go dry and forced herself to swallow, to no avail. Nevertheless, she held still and let him bind her down.

Artemis waited until he was done and then dismissed him, wondering where to go from here. He watched Holly carefully as he thought about it. What could he do? It wasn't like he could turn back the clock and fix this. So he was really stuck with her, and just her. As messed up as it was, he had to admit it could be enjoyable.. and useful.

Meanwhile, Holly sat there silently, waiting for the torture to begin. She knew he was going to be steamed, and he was trying to debate which way best to take it out on her. She only hoped it wasn't too horrible.. After all, there are some things worse than death.

Sighing, he eventually decided he had to do something besides stand there, and moved to kneel in front of her. "Holly," he murmured, stroking the edge of her ear. "I have to be honest. I don't know what to do with you. There are plenty of things I'd like to do. There's more that I know I should do. But I'm

not sure which to actually do." He kissed her thigh, in a lot more tender of gesture than she expected he would. "How about you give me an idea?"

"I.. I don't know what you want me to say," she admitted, frowning. "I'm sorry."

He frowned and sighed. "Alright. Then I'll do my own thing with you." Slowly, he pulled her knees apart and leaned down, pressing his lips gently down on her inner thigh and kissing her again. She gasped and slid her hips towards him slightly, knowing ultimately she should have known he would do this to her again.

However, he didn't do what she expected he would after that. He merely moved forward and stretched up to kiss her neck. "Alright, we're going to do this slowly," he whispered, his warm breath down her neck making her shiver as he spoke. "I want to know about these old laws. What they dictate, why your council follows them, and how they got in the way of my scheme. Everything. _Now_." His voice took on a stern edge at the end, making her wince but nod.

"Well.. T-they're n-"

She stopped when he sighed, reaching up and jerking the blindfold down again so it hung around her neck. The next instant, his intense blue eyes were burning into hers, and he had a hand on her chin, forcing her to keep looking into them. After a moment, it made her head spin.

"Breathe," he ordered, his eyes darting all over her face, taking in every detail. "You need to relax. I'm not going to hurt you. Why are you so nervous?"

She frowned. "Why _shouldn't_ I be?"

He sighed, rubbing his forehead and looking down towards her lap. When he looked back up, his eyes burned with sincerity and raw emotion. "Look. Neither of us are very happy with this. Obviously, you're stuck here and I'm not getting anything I was aiming for out of this situation. I'm trying very, very hard not to take this out on you. Give me a little credit here, and try to relax as well. I just need some answers before I go anywhere with this."

Holly swallowed reflexively, looking at him and blinking. "I... I can try... But am I really that worthless to you?"

Artemis sighed, running a hand through his hair and frowning again. "That's not what I meant... But I suppose you should be measured in value. I could use you, for many things. However, I think death is your best option from here - obviously, you can't go home, and it's not like we can even stand each other. I know you most likely hate me, and to be quite honest, I don't want to fight with you for the rest of my life."

"That won't happen," she whispered, shaking her head. "Please believe me. I can't fight you even if I wanted to. You have me bent to your will - can't you see that?"

"Holly-"

She cut him off by stretching up and pressing her lips against his. It was one last, desperate attempt to salvage what was left of her life. Miserable as she may be, she wasn't to the point yet where she wanted to die, even if it would be easier for her.

He put a hand on her chest and pushed her back into the chair, freeing his lips as he tried to catch his breath, his eyes half closed. "Unless you're _trying_ to provoke me, do not do that again," he hissed, still breathing hard.

"Is... Is that what it's going to take?"

He blinked at her, his eyes flashing with irritation. "Take for what?" She frowned and lowered her eyes, wondering why he seemed so obtuse all of a sudden. "Damn it, this is not what I was trying for," he growled.

"What?"

"Nothing. Forget it. You're not even mentally stable right now." He took a knife out of his pocket and cut her free from her binds, then slung her over his shoulder. "The time stop is still in effect. I'll give you some pills so you can go to sleep, and then you need to lay down and relax for a bit. We'll talk when you wake up. Understand?"

Startled, she simply nodded. He couldn't see her, but, feeling the gesture against his back, he went on and started carrying her away.

They went back up to his room, where he dropped her in his bed and went it the bathroom, then started digging through the cabinet for his mother's sleeping pills. Finding it, he broke a single pill in half and handed it to her. "Swallow it," he ordered.

Looking at him for a second, she nodded slowly, then took the pill from him and popped it in her mouth, swallowing it dry. He attempted to give her a comforting smile, but all he could manage was a tired grimace. "Go to sleep, Holly," he muttered. "I'll be back before you wake up." With that, he turned and headed out the door.

She stared after him a second, torn at his orders, but there was nothing she could do even if she wanted to. Orders were orders, and Whether there was eye contact or not was no longer relevant. At any rate, she could feel the drug already starting to take effect in her system - she wouldn't last long enough to go after him anyways.

Just as those thoughts cleared her mind, the room started to swim. She could almost envision the medicine running through her veins, getting into her system and the charges swimming through her.. And then she was out.

oOoOoOoOo

By the time Holly woke up, the shimmering blue light outside the window had dissipated, and it was obvious the fairies had gone.

Artemis was lying next to her, sound asleep; unconsciously, he'd rolled over and spooned her, his arm draped over her and holding her tightly against his chest.

She didn't resist. She knew better.

She laid there for a while in silence, unmoving, and not actually stirring once until he did. He arched a little and stretched against her, his body almost completely enveloping hers. She curled in on herself in response, minimizing her small form on instinct, then freezing when he yawned loudly and shifted some more. She stayed frozen until he settled on top of her. Obviously, he was either still asleep and had just managed to get comfortable, or was awake and had stopped squirming because of it.

Her questions were answered when he shifted barely perceptibly, then knelt his head down and brushed his lips across her forehead.

Her eyes were firmly closed, but her ragged breathing gave away the fact that he was awake. He sighed and groaned, climbing off her and arching his back in a steep stretch. Then he looked back down at her and muttered, "Holly. You can open your eyes, you know - I know you're awake."

The elf complied slowly, opening her eyes and looking up at the human. However, she still couldn't meet his eyes, so she fixed them on the lean chest above her, not speaking.

"That's better," he whispered. "No need to hide, now, is there?"

"I guess not," she muttered.

"Good." Artemis reached out and wrapped his arm underneath her, sitting her up a bit and looking down at her. Instantly, her eyes dropped again, and his brow furrowed. "Why won't you meet my eyes? I'm not going to give you orders, if that's what you're worried about."

"You don't need to meet my eyes to give me orders anymore," she whispered. "And I can't, anyways. I have to have permission."

"I... see," Artemis admitted finally, although he definitely did not "see", especially not the bigger picture. "Are you going to tell me why that is?"

"I guess," she muttered, quirking a shoulder. Her fingers traced patterns on the soft comforter beneath them absentmindedly, and as he watched a little closer he realized exactly what it was she was tracing: letters. Gnommish letters.

Catching her hand in the middle of tracing an eye, he rubbed his thumb across her knuckles and sighed. "Why so hesitant, Holly? You know, the danger has passed by now - I'm not going to hurt you, no matter what happens next. But I need to know where to go from here. What can I do to help you? You have to tell me that. And that means starting with the reasons we're in this situation in the first place."

He risked a glance at her face at this. She was shaking her head, looking down at their hands suspiciously, as if she expected him to suddenly just flick his wrist and snap her hand off. He sighed on noticing this and dropped it back into her lap.

For a moment or two, they sat in silence. Then, Holly took a deep breath and finally got up the nerves to speak.

"It's not in the Book," she began softly, still staring intently at the bed with dark eyes. "It's part of the old laws, the ones that go way back to the beginning of the human and fairy feud, around the time we were retreating underground. Humans... Well, it was a war, and fairies are peace loving people. We tried the same tactics - not the very same, but similar - that we did in your situation: talks and negotiations, all that stuff. At first, it went well. And then... it just didn't."

She stopped for a second, swiping at her eyes and shaking her head again. "The first few rounds of negotiations were okay. There were three total. I mean, they weren't great - I'm sure you know how irritating and unforthcoming the humans are sometimes - but at least the people came back. The third time they just... didn't. The humans..." She stopped and swallowed hard. "It's the nightmare story," she whispered. "It was horrible. Eventually, the People got them back... the fairy negotiators, I mean. But they were all different. Ruined. Their minds were tainted and soiled by the humans. Their bodies were in no better shape."

Holly sighed, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples. Her voice trembled when she continued. "We swore after that. Contact with humans - like, extended contact, under any harmful circumstances, wouldn't be tolerated, to put it all mildly. If there's any change, at all, from contact, it's over before it's begun. Half the time even seeing or speaking to a human is traumatizing these days. But they won't risk it - can't, really. For Frond's sake, they made it a _law_..."

Artemis studied her intently. For all intent and purposes, she was rambling, while trying to explain the situation and the reasons behind it to him. Some of it he could comprehend. Some of it... well, it was confusing, to say the least.

Carefully, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling the saddened elf into his chest and rubbing her arm as he thought about it. He'd raped her. Obviously, he could see how that changed her. Anyone could, really; it wasn't hard. That would be how she fell into that category. As for the story itself.. Whatever happened to those fairies obviously must have been horrid for the fairies to put such a law in place. Although, he thought, it must have been less about what was done to them and more about the outcomeof it. Why else make the laws so specific?

So, some of it fit. But a few things didn't.

"Holly," he said softly, hoping to get her attention.

She sniffled and glanced up at him, still carefully avoiding eye contact. "What?"

"How does the rest of this fit? Your not being able to return, the sudden stupid rules and unquestioning obedience? Not that I'd complain too heavily about you having to obey, but it doesn't make much sense."

_It doesn't make much sense_. His cheap way of telling her he didn't understand - something he'd never admit out loud, even to her.

"They didn't want them back," she whispered, shrugging almost apologetically. "Most of those fairies that were recovered were sent to Haven's asylum. The rest.. Well, they pretty much all died." Sighing, she traced another letter into the sheet and shook her head. "These days it's just exile, usually. They send you back go whoever soiled you. We're pretty much at their mercy."

"Is that with the sudden obedience?"

Holly shook her head. "No. The obedience, the rules... Like me not being able to meet your eyes. That's sort of self-inflicted." She thought about it and suddenly realized how that sounded. "I mean, not me... But the People. It's not part of the laws. It's sort of like the equivalent of a human oath... Damn, this is harder to explain than I imagined it would be." She sighed, dropping her face into her hands and rubbing her eyes. "I don't know how much more you need to understand it, but there's not a lot of ways I can put it."

"I know." He sighed too, running his fingers absently through her hair and shifting a little bit next to her. "I think I get most of it, although I am curious about some of the details you haven't shared. But if it's too painful I won't force you."

"It's not so much painful as confusing, although I do hate talking about this. I haven't thought about this stuff in years... Let alone that it might ever apply to me." She sighed again. "But... Do you get it?"

"For the most part, yes."

"What don't you understand?"

"Mostly, it's not you. I'm just not sure where we'll go from here."

And there laid the heart of the issue.

"Well… I guess that's up to you," she said hesitantly. "I don't really have a choice in the matter. I'm… I'm at your mercy."

The words pained her to say, that much was obvious, considering she couldn't even look at him as she said it and immediately dropped her eyes, twisting her fingers into a knot as she held back tears with several rapid blinks. He sighed, reaching out and grabbing her chin, tilting her head up so she was looking at him again.

"Holly…"

Originally, he knew he'd had something to say that he'd made her look at him, but now it was gone. It dissipated as soon as he looked into her hazel eyes again and watched her hide them from view, partially because she couldn't and partially because she wouldn't meet his gaze.

For a moment, he stared at her, then eventually shook his head released her. "I need time to think," he muttered. "I'm going to my study to meditate."

Holly just nodded, but didn't answer, keeping her eyes firmly glued to the bed. Artemis threw one last glance at her, then stood up and made for the door. He paused with his hand on the handle when she spoke.

"Umm… A-Artemis?"

He stopped. "Yes, Holly?"

"Um.. do I have to stay here.. I mean, like, here, in bed?" she asked, quickly correcting herself with the addition to avoid making it sound like she was asking something that she wasn't.

"I understand what you meant. And no. If you'd like you can go downstairs, find some food.. or stay up here and sleep or wash up or whatever." The human shrugged. "I may be gone a few hours, but if you need me, I'll just be next door to you. Try not to get into too much, alright?"

She nodded. "Okay."

He smiled at her, then, turning back around, went through the door into his study and sat down to meditate.


End file.
